China Airlines Co (華航) gained NT$0.15, or 1.3 percent, to NT$11.90. EVA Airways Corp (長榮航空) fell NT$0.25, or 2.3 percent, to NT$10.45. The government may allow the two airlines to run direct chartered cargo flights to China to ease disruptions caused by SARS.

Macronix International Co (旺宏) fell NT$0.40, or 6.7 percent, to NT$5.60. Macronix said on Wednesday its first-quarter loss widened and it expects to post a loss of NT$7.8 billion this year.

Macronix's net loss widened to NT$3.21 billion from NT$2.7 billion a year ago. A Bloomberg News survey of five analysts had a median estimate of NT$2.5 billion.

Silicon Integrated System Corp (矽統) fell NT$0.80, or 4.2 percent, to NT$18.40. The company shut its research department on Thursday after a worker was suspected of having SARS.

VIA Technologies Inc (威盛電子) lost NT$1.60, or 4 percent, to NT$38.40. The chipset maker reported a loss as costs from a patent dispute with Intel Corp drained earnings and sales slipped.

VIA had a net loss of NT$646 million (US$18.6 million) in the first quarter, compared with net income of NT$1.1 billion a year ago.

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